The Corker Iran bill passed the Senate 98-1 today and if you are like me, you are wondering if that one ‘no’ vote was Ted Cruz. Well, it wasn’t. He, along with all of his Republican colleagues voted to pass the Corker Iran bill despite the fact that it cedes treaty power in regard to this Iran nuclear deal to Obama.
Cruz explains why in a press release from just moments ago:
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, released the following statement regarding votes on the Iran Nuclear Review Act:
“This bill was a missed opportunity. If Congress had acted to defend our constitutional authority – if Congress had adopted the Cruz-Toomey amendment – then we would be able to stop a bad Iran deal. Instead, the odds are now overwhelming that under these ground rules President Obama will negotiate, and Congress will acquiesce to, a terrible deal that allows Iran to acquire nuclear weapons and will endanger the lives of millions of Americans and our allies.
“I voted no on cloture because we should have insisted on amendments to put real teeth in this bill. Ultimately, I voted yes on final passage because it may delay, slightly, President Obama’s ability to lift the Iran sanctions and it ensures we will have a Congressional debate on the merits of the Iran deal. I will continue to lead the fight to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to protect the national security of America and our allies.”
At least Cruz is honest about this bill and isn’t acting as though it were some big victory, like McConnell and Corker:
“Without this bill, there is no review,” Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said during the closing debate, which shut off a bid from younger conservatives to toughen the language even if meant a collapse of support for the oversight. “No bill, no review.”
“Many wish the bill was stronger. I don’t disagree with them, but this is a piece of legislation worthy of our support,” McConnell said Wednesday during a floor speech. “It offers the best chance we have to provide the American people and the Congress they elect with power to weigh in on a vital issue.”
So who was the one person to vote against the bill? Tom Cotton.